Front Bumper Decorative Member Layout for Pedestrian Impact Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle-body front structures face challenges in improving pedestrian protection performance, particularly when a pedestrian collides with the front portion of a vehicle, as decorative members with stereoscopic shapes and dimensions in the vehicle front-rear direction tend to retract less due to the positioning of high-stiffness bumper reinforcements, which limits the effectiveness of impact absorption.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle-body front structure incorporates a front bumper with a fascia and a decorative member that extends along the edges of an opening, where the bumper reinforcement is positioned on the rear side of the decorative member, allowing it to retract further without interference, and includes protrusions and crush cans to enhance retraction and design properties, ensuring the decorative member does not overlap with the bumper reinforcement in a front view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a high-stiffness bumper reinforcement is positioned on the vehicle rear side of the decorative member, then the structural strength is improved, but the decorative member retraction amount is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper reinforcement is repositioned from a longitudinal arrangement (behind the decorative member) to a lateral arrangement (between the left and right parts of the decorative member). This dimensional change allows the reinforcement to maintain structural strength while providing clearance for the decorative member to retract freely in the front-rear direction during pedestrian collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The bumper reinforcement acts as a lateral intermediary support structure that provides structural strength without interfering with the front-rear retraction motion of the decorative member. By positioning it between the left and right parts of the decorative member, it serves as a mediator that maintains both strength and pedestrian protection performance.
2Shape
If the decorative member has a stereoscopic shape with a dimension in the vehicle front-rear direction, then the design property is improved, but the pedestrian protection performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The solution maintains the stereoscopic shape of the decorative member for design purposes while resolving the pedestrian protection issue by repositioning the bumper reinforcement laterally. This allows the decorative member to retain its front-rear dimension for aesthetic value while ensuring it can retract sufficiently to protect pedestrians.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the bumper reinforcement is positioned to support the vehicle front structure, then the structural stability is improved, but the decorative member retraction is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper reinforcement is repositioned from supporting the structure longitudinally (behind the decorative member) to supporting it laterally (between the left and right parts). This dimensional repositioning maintains structural stability while eliminating interference with the decorative member's front-rear retraction motion during collisions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for improved pedestrian protection performance by enabling a larger retraction of the decorative member during collisions, reducing the impact on pedestrians and maintaining design aesthetics without compromising protection.
Implementation Method 1
the decorative member having received an impact load from the pedestrian starts retracting
Data Source
AI summary
To improve protection performance for a pedestrian colliding with a front portion of a traveling vehicle, a front bumper includes a bumper fascia, a front grill, and a decorative member. The decorative member includes a left part extending along a left edge portion of an opening, and a right part extending along a right edge portion of the opening. A left end portion of a bumper reinforcement is positioned on a right side of the left part of the decorative member. A right end portion of the bumper reinforcement is positioned on a left side of the right part of the decorative member.